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Obituaries

Institute, which runs two Fellowship (Erika) Rosemarie Worboys (Wagner 1955)
programmes named after her – the 18 April 1937 – 24 June 2022
Anne Kantor Fellowship (General)
and the Anne Kantor Young Women
Environmentalists Fellowship. These Rosemarie Robert, Jen’s twin, shortly after he was
programmes are graduate-style (‘Rosie’) born.
programmes open to those who wish Worboys taught
to gain experience and develop skills many lessons She returned to teaching in 1973, first
in policy, research and advocacy on in chemistry at Doncaster High School, then PLC,
environmental, climate and energy but her greater while serving on the state body for
issues. The Fellowships provide Fellows legacy is in the Chemistry curriculum and examinations.
with a unique opportunity to gain on- quiet lessons She took a break, did a French
the-job training in research, advocacy, she delivered polishing course before undertaking her
and media and communications ... to – aside from her work as a scientist, theological studies, and later returned
effectively advocate for change and curriculum expert and theologian – as a to teaching at Strathcona Girls Grammar
establish a pipeline of new voices to deeply spiritual woman of unshakeable School.
contribute to Australia’s future policy and faith, intensive work ethic and as a
democratic debates. compassionate, non-judgemental parent Hers was a life marked by hard
and grandmother. work and humility. Later, she studied
‘It was like Mum had passed on the Theology at Whitley College, where she
baton to others to keep working on the Born in Leipzig in 1937, the early delight was said to have been ‘a real gun’ at
things she cared about,’ said Eve. of childhood came to an abrupt end Ancient Greek but graciously set aside
with the extremely traumatic Allied her private disappointment about the
Other organisations she worked with Forces bombing destruction of her home Baptist Union’s mid-80s views on the
include Casse Australia – Creating a town of Dresden on 13 February 1945. ordination of women, opting instead
Safe Supportive Environment, focusing to serve as an Associate Minister of
on indigenous issues and the Wilin Her family, father Kurt, mother Erika and Christian Education at North Blackburn
Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural younger sister Sabine, sought refuge with Baptist Church.
Development at Melbourne University. her grandparents in Helmstedt, before
She was also one of the key founding a succession of chaotic and unsettling In a record she kept for her children she
funders of ICAN, the International moves to Mannheim, Dusseldorf, describes her excitement as each found
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Frankfurt and ultimately Melbourne, life partners and her delight in being a
which received the Nobel Peace Prize where, days before her 15th birthday, grandparent of Ella, Ryan and Bryce;
in 2017. in April 1952, she started Year 10 at Maxi and Jamie; Hannah, Stevie and
MacRobertson Girls High. Jonny; Nellie and Ned; and Thomas.
Together with her late husband, Dr
Milan Kantor AOM, Anne was a lover At MacRob, she was Dux of Science, After Rosie and John retired, they joined
of music and both were long-standing winning a Commonwealth Scholarship Camberwell Baptist Church where they
supporters of Musica Viva, Short Black and a non-resident exhibition at JCH (for organised Adult Multicultural Education
Opera and the Melbourne Recital tutorials at Trinity), which allowed her to Services (AMES Australia) training for
Centre. study Chemistry and complete a DipEd ‘Let’s Talk English’, initially for students
instead of going to work in her parents’ and tourists and later for anyone with
Anne lived with Eve and her husband electroplating factory. limited English, which kept them very
Mark at Jigsaw Farms near Hamilton in busy between 2010 and 2014.
south-west Victoria for the last three It was in the chemistry labs, where the
years of her life, and although living with alphabetical proximity of Wagner to When John died suddenly in August
Alzheimer’s, she was deeply happy. As Worboys had a fortuitous bearing on 2017, Rosie missed him deeply but
Eve explained, ‘Mum let go of all her locker and bench allocations, that she worked hard on living independently
stress, freeing her for what she said was met John Worboys, a resident of Trinity, until she was diagnosed with pancreatic
the most important thing, to be with with whom she had a slow-burning, cancer in November 2021. In a moving
people you love who love you. In a way, life-long love. She writes that she was tribute, her children wrote that Rosie
she didn’t lose herself to dementia, she terribly, secretly in love (‘That was a was not afraid to die. She defined quality
found herself’. secret from John as well’) but at some of life as having peace with God and she
point the two established a mutual had that peace and was able to die at
Anne passed away at her daughter’s understanding and married on 26 August home with her five children by her side.
farm, aged 86. She is survived by four 1961. By that time, Rosie, a promising
of her children – Julie, Eve, Kate and research scientist who chose ‘people, Helen Shield
Michael – and eleven grandchildren. Her not test tubes’, had been teaching at (Family friend)
family all miss her huge heart, laughter, Hampton High School for almost two-
courage, humility and boundless love, and-a-half years.
every day.
Between 1962 and 1968 Rosie and John
Eve Kantor had six children, Philip, Peter, Jennifer,
Robert, Alison and Stephen, losing

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